Today we’d like to introduce you to Omar Alejandro Rosales.
Hi Omar Alejandro, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
For many years, growing up I was always the kid on the back seats of the classrooms trying to avoid the teacher’s questions, avoiding reading out loud in front of the class, or even simple things like looking at a person’s eyes when speaking to them. I was always that self-conscious kid, not to mention I was around kids older than me for the most part of my childhood, pressured into fitting in with the rest of the kids back then the music and fashion industry was (and still is) a major influence to me growing up. I’m sure a lot of 80’s and 90’s babies can relate. Starting as a ”loner” in middle school being a Mexican kid moving from the local Latino community schools to a completely diff school near the beach my mother made the decision to put us in a mostly English school Pacific Beach middle school was my home away from home from 6 grade to 8th grade and boy was it a rollercoaster! like I was saying earlier , not knowing any of the kids at that time, being completely alone with no friends, with the shyness and insecurities as a kid it was hell not knowing how to fit in or even simply talking to a new kid in class. I remember for over half that beginning of my 6th grade year I was a complete ”loner”, hiding by the hall way stairs, lockers and eating my lunch slowly wishing for lunch break to be over, starring at my watch waiting for the bell to ring. I was miserable, starting my first year as a six grader. I was a heavy skater growing up so I remember always having my skateboard with me even during class, so one day, I finally decided to get up and just cruise around the school campus and see what the rest of the kids were doing. To my pleasure it turned out half the school was populated by white kids that loved to skate and surf. it was a matter of time before I made friends and started to hang out with the cool kids surfing and skateboarding day in day out. I had to get uncomfortable to be comfortable eventually and that’s something that I never forget, my mother as my main mentor as well as my father they have always encouraged me to be friendly and always be myself, of course it was always easier said than done but eventually after applying those things, it definitely helped me at a young age. Moving forward, in High School, I went thru a similar experience but it wasn’t as bad as Middle school however I did notice that I had developed somewhat of social magnet, I became approachable and more social with new kids, I was always that kid taking initiative in the class and helping the shy kids, remembering everything my parents would tell me of course. Highschool was definitely fun and since My high school was next door, I got to keep my old friends so it was definitely a smoother transition. Mission Bay was my high school for 4 years. Moving forward as a young adult I became naturally outgoing, friendly approachable and always with a positive mindset and was a problem solver, which now that I think about it, I see why most of my jobs where in either customer service or sales as a young Teenager/adult, it’s ironic but I guess those jobs fit right in! Moving forward to the good stuff now! LOL the reason I’m telling those short stories is because it helps me find out where this personality came from and how it all started. Once I turned 21, I became hooked to the nightlife scene I just didn’t know what genre or what scene I really liked, I was open to anything, you could always catch me in the popular Pacific beach areas like The Tavern, monologies, Bar West, Last call just to name a few…. eventually I ended up going to Down town, that’s where everything changed for me, I felt right at home knowing Latin music was coming up in the nigh life scene, I got in touch with old friends from middle school and high school, I made new friends of course. Most friends growing up where either from a white, black or Latin background , come to learn my black friends where Dominican and Puerto Rican so I got influenced on to the tropical/hip hop side /reggaeton side of the nightlife, mind you, growing up as a kid I was always into hip hop, heavy metal, reggaeton, daddy Yankee, Nicky jam, de la ghetto, tego calderon and many more artists were a huge influence in my early years so it was nothing new to me , keep in mind my mother was not your traditional Mexican music blasting corridors type of mother , she was the country , pop, and R&B type of mom so I grew up with Phil Collins in the house …. I know supper different lol, so listening to Genuine and Joe was a must with my Mexican mother lol. so going back to the industry, I was literally hooked with bachata and merengue and hearing it in the same club that is playing hip hop and reggaetón, it was the whole package vibe for me. I eventually started to talk and meet new people, I became good friends with ”people that knew people” and eventually landed my first gig as a Security Bouncer at 21, the place was called 4th & B. In down town San Diego, I was basically patting people down and checking ID’s for about a year. I then remember asking the owner for a different position, standing for 4-6 hrs. was definitely not for me so lucky for me I did have the personality and the people skills so I was the new VIP host/ security for 4th & B the position allowed me to take care of high-end clientele such as artists, their family members, escorting the artists to their tour buses among other duties. Moving forward I happened to visit this club which back then was called Club Miami in Mission Valley, same thing I started to notice a Latin community around me so I decided to stick around and enjoy the scene I had officially landed my comfort zone. I eventually met well-respected DJ’s and promoters that would get me on their Guest lists and back stage passes, VIP seats and more of an industry treatment. I then decided to be nosy and ask what it would take for me to work in the industry and what I would have to do to get paid to work in the club besides security, more like a promoter. I remember there was no real guidance for me I literally had to figure it out little by little and just ask questions every chance I got, my mother always said to be nosy sooner or later something is going to happen if you ask the right questions and always stay pure to yourself, people can detect when you are being fake. I always built relationships with DJ’s and business owners in a genuine way, I have always stayed Pure and transparent with everyone I have and still work with, I’ve learned the hard way that being a genuine person is not always a good thing in this industry, however I’ve not changed my self, I’ve either changed the people around me and learned from my mistakes but always keeping a Pure heart and kept my friendly personality. I strongly believe that it’s one of my major keys as to how I’ve managed to stay motivated and consistent for over 10. years. So now,”How do get started as a promoter Omar? ”if I had a dollar for every time someone asks me this question ide be rich lol it’s not your typical job that u can go and apply to I know, being a promoter takes time , dedication, a strong business minded personality,thick skin and most definitely patience, lots and lots of patience, not to mention creativity as well , among other characteristics , but yes it takes time to build a data base or clientele, influence people to come step out and spend money, how to add value to their night and not treat them as just a number. The genuine personality is definitely cutch when it comes to applying that ”customer service” to your audience. But moving forward after many years of building my data base and being the guy to go to get in the club without paying I’ve managed to finally sit with big name clubs such as Sevilla, Onyx, Parq,Hard Rock , Fluxx, Juan Tequila, Caribe, Sugar Factory, Beach house, Andale Bar among others and really work my way up to good paying contracts , as well as networking and teaming up with other DJ’s and promoters to collaborate and bring new venues/ nights to San Diego focusing on the Latino community. I personally developed this passion and love for the scene that it personally doesn’t feel like work, but when you can finally say wow, I’ve purchased my home going out and doing what I love, that’s when you know it’s getting serious and most importantly getting blessed by my hard work. Consistency is key to this, I remember back then trying to do my own gigs and ending with 50-60 bucks for the night spending 80 thinking to myself what is going on? what am I doing wrong? but staying consistent and putting in work, networking building more clients and staying focused on the craft of building a vibe for the place and adding more value to the venue was only the start towards getting a better pay. honestly ,my focus initially was never the money or being noticed or being popular around girls , it was more of having fun for some extra cash while keeping my day job, however when I realized it was getting more serious and doing contracts moving forward I realized I was going all in .I decided to refocus and put my vision to work, I studied the demographist , the economy , how people feel when they hear a song, what DJ made them feel good, how people interact, what alcohol is good with what chaser, how the bars and clubs are designed for social interaction to what music to play on peek time, how to read the crowd as DJ tend to do, the whole science behind the nightlife is not as simple as to just eviting people out, so I’ve learned the tips and tricks if I will , so yes consistency has paid off thus far , to the point that I get to try new things with the current demographics and enjoy the crazy rollercoaster of this crazy economy . Facing new challenges professionally, I now worked my way into owning 3 brands such as Taki Sundays, Wepa Fridays, powered by my Promotion Brand O Entertainment and my newest baby Pure Fruit Bar & Deli but this one is more in the food industry, ill touch on that in a little. So yes, personally these brands are presented and cater to everyone but in specific the Latino party community these are names or ”theme names ” to label a specific club night at a specific nightclub/bar. Hosted by the brand, featuring well respected DJ’s , live bands, celebrities such as: De la ghetto, Bryan Myers , Jay Alvares, Jhay Cortez, Larry Over, Bad Bunny’s DJ DJ Orma , Anuel’s DJ DJ Ettiene, Play N Skillz among others. Working with alcohol companies sponsors and other live entertainment. YES, these are challenges because it’s not always a packed night so from time to time we do take losses due to a slow night or in this past year we got hit by Covid -19 so there’s always challenges around. Speaking of challenges, and this one I can personally say it’s a more positive and friendly challenge because I’ve recently been in a position that I can sign A well respected and super talented DJ to my Brand O ENTERTAINMENT his name is DJ Uptown. I am now currently his manager here in the West coast area so now I have to juggle his career with mine, when someone is talented and believes in you to take his career to the next level trust me it’s no easy task , but I enjoy it and it’s an honor . Now PURE where should I start lol during covid most of us had a lot of down time and had no option but to just stay home, during that year I fell in the weight gaining group lol and basically put my life on PAUSE as a lot of people were forced to do as well , however , during half way thru that isolation I noticed I was falling into a silent depression , eating late , watching movies not really doing much. it was definitely a bad experience and don’t want to be in that hole ever again , I literally caught myself and said enough is enough, I decided to get back on my grind and started working out at home, do funny videos, connect with my audience sending care packages during covid, over all came out with a plan to execute and be ready for my next move when quarantine is over . I ended up Networking with this supplement company called Repp Sports and they welcomed me to their team as an Ambassador for their Raze drinks and supplements , due to their business being 100% online it worked perfect because I didn’t have to leave my house , I just had to connect and network with people and promote the brand and supplements not to mention their products are amazing as they should be ,otherwise I couldn’t represent something I don’t genuinely like. So moving forward , I decided to focus on my fitness journey and get my confidence back, but most importantly getting myself out of that silent depression I was falling into, I’ve noticed and learned something about myself this past year or so, I personally have to continue to use my mind , my creativity if I stop I get uncomfortable and in this past case I fell into a depression ,since what I loved was literally taken from me due to covid, I literally had to get uncomfortable again in order to be comfortable again , speaking of being uncomfortable, another challenge I decided to take, was to open up my very own Fruit bar & Deli. During covid I decided to put my money to work and decided to invest , I’ve always believed in investing in yourself in your brands because no one will (unless it’s a big corporation or a huge sponsor) so I decided to do some homework and figure out what I love and what I am also good at. Remember I come from a customer service and sales background so when I saw the lot open and available for Lease I decided to plan and launch my first Fruit bar. with a blessed coincidence the shop location turned out to be down the block from my house and with a great traffic flow. so, my business sensors started to kick in and I started to plan everything out during covid, from negotiating a great lease, to what menu I will be featuring, to what hours ,what vibe I want to go with. Keep in mind, now that things are open it’s been hard but rewarding journey thus far juggling everything, to top things off, there is hats , merch I have to design and create for people to enjoy , all of this while still keeping my parents close, not to mention their health now is not that good so I have to watch over them every single day due to their poor health and age. Which is the reason it motivated me more to open up this Fruit bar , it will continue to encourage my parents healthy eating habits and hopefully keep them as long as possible . by the way Pure was literally created and design by myself , it came from a memory of my mother telling me ” mijo you have come a long way and somehow you have kept your hart Pure and u are still a good person, don’t change keep being that O that everyone loves and my Omar that I adore ” and that’s how the name PURE was born ! the watermelon if u look closely, it has the red white and green , it represents the Mexican flag , Latino owned and proud ! So, stick around and stay tuned for the grand opening of PUURE Fruit BAr & Deli located in Lemon Grove San Diego. So, this is my story , I’m just enjoying my prime and staying motivated by people like you SD Voyager, finding interest in our stories that people wonder about, and giving us a platform to express our self. Thank you for finding interest in my story if there’s any other questions, please let me know , there’s tons more I can talk about but I feel like this is long enough lol signing off OENT ”ppprrrrraaa”! ( it’s a catch phrase my followers know me by lol, thank you !
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There’s been plenty of struggles , from sacrificing time with family, from break ups due to them not supporting your vision , to meeting fake people , being used as a number, getting doors closed on you, people not believing in your vision , then using your ideas, Back then I was passing flyers from Walmart to Walmart parked cars, printing flyers, getting kicked out of parking lots , getting tickets for ”littering ”, to artists or DJ’s canceling affecting the nights overall revenues , the most recent one is covid , it changed everyone’s lives along with the economy , so we are forced to adapt and hope to overcome these struggles and avoid getting infected there’s so many struggles I can name but these are a few.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I like to consider myself as an entrepreneur , promoter/business owner. I always find thing to create , I have a big imagination and creativity, I tend to set trends within my community and always lead by example. I consider myself a professional at what I do, besides catching me drinking and taking shots from time to time, I still find time to take care of business. I believe what set me apart from the rest is that I don’t do this for the wrong reasons. Everyone out here calls them self a promoter weather it’s on the streets “fishing ” walk ins and getting them to come to your establishment or passing out free cover passes, what set me apart is my business mentality, I don’t like to appear just busy , I actually spend my time being productive , sometimes, yes , it’s both but overall I don’t shoot for the recognition or the attraction that comes with the image, all the perks come within time , I focus more on the business aspect and how to keep my audience satisfied and also interact with everyone, weather it’s a simple comment to actually inviting them personally , I always make time to focus on what’s more important . Also, another thing I like to believe does separate me from the rest is that I like to branch out. If I see a busy location I move my events to where there is less traffic flow and make it my own , for example Wepa Fridays was created and launched by myself away from Down Town, knowing it was a risk and I could fall into a dead night I still took the chance and launched the event, lucky for us my audience has shown support and the Fridays nights are still on-going thus far, of course this was made with help of the Andale Bar & Restaurant staff along with the owner of the establishment, with an open mind and a smart plan we launched it and it was a success and still is ! I’m the only promoter in San Diego that has worked as O Entertainment as a single promoter , no promotion street team or manager, I wear most of my hats , from flyer designing , to guest list and table reservation organizing , marketing my own products, organizing an event from scratch , to hiring staff, I only work with in-house staff that venues already have , so it makes my job easier . I also design my own logos , edit my promotion videos from time to time . I am a hands-on type of promoter, I always say if u want thing done the right way and in a specific way , you sometimes have to do it yourself lol. but always with an open mind and a whiling to accept criticism at all times. I also focus on booking artist for a specific date , book hotel stays. sound check with DJ’s , book DJs for feature dates, Organize a date for a specific venue, restaurant or bar , night and day party events. I am knowing for making events , Latino events in specific , my events feature well respected Latino base DJ’s and artists, bringing you music from Reggaetón, dembow, bachata , merengue , top 40 beats and hip hop, a well-rounded genre of music. and what I am most proud of recently is allowing myself to stay focus event thru covid, organizing , learning new things in the food industry, how to manage my own business, and climbing up a latter into something more different and in something completely the opposite . I went from partying and drinking and promoting late nights of food , un heathy eating and drinking , to balancing it out with the opposite life style. To be able to keep up in this nightlife scene you do have to get rest, and eat clean , which is why you see all these beautiful bottle service girls in the gym all the time and eating clean, I always promote moderation and a well balance lifestyle. Now offering “the other side of the coin” my audience can enjoy the benefits of a delicious fresh smoothie , to a healthy Acai breakfast bowl, to a fresh salad, or a protein shake, maybe a delicious cheat day sandwich I like to offer variety to my people. Over all I believe these are some of the things that set me apart from just a “promoter ” .
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I feel like many qualities are important to my success, some that stand out the most is having initiative, initiative tells you that you are a leader, you put thing together and make your thoughts become things, which is my next quality, having a vision, imagination and creativity, always thinking like a consumer not just a provider. If it something I couldn’t eat or drink, then I won’t sell it, if the vibe is not right and I don’t completely like it then I’ll most likely won’t promote it or launch it. Having a good vision will help make your thought come to life much easier, if you can imagine it, you can always do it. You are responsible for your life , your feature , the way you think crates your reality. And I stand behind that 100%. I always tell my upcoming promoters, thoughts become things and we always have to support each other because sometimes someone’s thought may inspire you to do something . We rise by lifting others I always say! As a single promoter I do work with other and definitely am I team player I think that is always going to be one of the keys to a successful career as well. The last thing is simple , but hard to do, OUT WORK EVERYONE , plain and simple, be a step ahead of no one but yourself so when they complement your old you , be thank full but always keeping your focus on you next version that way you never plateau and you keep leveling up. This is super important to me and is something I pride myself on doing in the past 10 years
Contact Info:
- Email: oentertainmentevents@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omarrsls/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omar.rsls
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/mWVBnjXnCXViVKjo8
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=v5cienpj2akx&utm_content=kzhjm03
Image Credits:
Andale Bar & Restaurant DJ Uptown
